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Teen drug abuse may be more widespread than you think

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Photo: Canva

by Daniela Acosta

Teen drug abuse is a growing concern as many teens are experimenting with substances like alcohol, cannabis (weed), and prescription drugs. While some teens are driven toward drug abuse by peer pressure, others use drugs as a coping mechanism. Many teens nowadays experience high levels of stress due to family issues, emotional issues, school, etc. Many don’t have the opportunity to speak to someone or find healthy outlets for their feelings, and this leads them to look for other ways to deal with these emotions, which in turn can lead to teens to drugs as a way to cope with everything.

Drugs can have serious long-term consequences. Drug abuse can interfere with brain development, and lead to legal problems. It can also affect the relationships people have around them; it can cause damage to family relationships, friendships, and more. It can even lead to death. According to U.S. News & World Report, an average of 22 U.S teens die each week because of drug use.

There are many ways that we can help teens that are struggling with these issues, and help prevent it from happening more. Preventing teen drug abuse requires education, communication, comprehension, and support. Parents, schools, and communities can help prevent teen drug use. Building strong relations with teens can make it easier for them to ask for help before their problem becomes unmanageable.

Patterson guidance counselor Mr. Hawkins expresses how it all starts at home. “Parents make it seem okay. It makes the teens think it is okay.”, Mr. Hawkins explains.

According to Mr. Hawkins, drug abuse is a very widespread problem. “It is a very high usage amongst those who use drugs; it’s more prevalent than people assume.”

He advises students to seek help and seek change in order to overcome struggles like this. “My advice is to admit you have a problem.”, states Mr. Hawkins. “Students who don’t realize they have an addiction do not want the help.” 

Speaking to trusted adults can allow a teen to feel open enough to speak about these issues. “Change your environment with power[ful] supporting people and surround yourself with the right people to restrain from drug use.”, Hawkins advises.

Many teens and adults dealing with drug addiction suffer in silence, but being that support system for someone can go a long way toward helping them break free from their addiction.

Assistant principal runs to raise money for senior activities

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Photo: Mr. Sankofa

by Ashley Sarmiento Rodriguez

Patterson High School Assistant Principal Mr. Sankofa has been running to raise money for Cohort 2025 senior activities.

Mr. Sankofa traveled to Richmond, Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to participate in running events. At “Run Richmond”, he ran 16.19K, clocking in at 1 hour and 39 seconds with a pace of 9.53 per mile. In “The Great Race” in Pittsburgh, Mr. Sankofa ran 10K, clocking in at 52 minutes with a pace of 8.25 per mile. So far, he has
raised approximately $400.00 from families, Patterson colleagues, and friends who pledged to donate if he ran.

Mr. Sankofa began running in middle school and has been an avid runner ever since. He enjoys running for our school because he gets to work on his fitness and raise money for our school at the same time. His main supporters are his brothers because they also enjoy running together.

In my opinion, everything Mr. Sankofa is doing for us seniors is amazing. He’s doing something he enjoys and also rising money. It takes a lot to decide to take on a big role like that but he did it and he is definitely succeeding. This will help pay for senior events, prom, dances, etc.–anything we need money for.

“Running for Patterson was a great way for me to reach my fitness goals and also raise money for Patterson”, said Mr. Sankofa.

I appreciate it and I know many other seniors and teachers in our school appreciate and are very thankful for what Mr. Sankofa is doing for Patterson High School.

Women should have the right to choose an abortion (OPINION)

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Pro-Choice demonstration from 2018 (Photo: Paul Becker – Wikimedia Commons)

by Ashley Sarmiento Rodriguez

Abortion–let’s talk about it. Abortions are a choice all women in Maryland have if they get pregnant and they don’t want to keep it. Abortions are given in two ways: a pill you take or a surgery. Some types of abortion can’t be performed after a certain amount of time of the fetus being formed.

In my opinion, it’s good that women have ways to at least choose whether or not to have a kid because there are a lot of woman who get pregnant without planning and don’t really have stable income or homes to give to a baby so they do what they know is best and get an abortion.

I understand that many people are strongly against abortion and say women should keep their babies, but at the end of the day, the people with all those opinions aren’t actually the one who will be having to take responsibility for these babies, so they honestly shouldn’t have a say in the decision of any woman who chooses to have an abortion. Also, no woman should be shamed or looked down on because they had an abortion. It should be an option for all pregnant woman and nobody–especially no man–should even think they have a say in what a woman can do with her own body.

A woman’s right to choose used to be protected by the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, but in 2022 that ruling was overturned, giving state governments the power to ban abortions. I’ve been researching this issue and I’ve seen that there are a lot of states where abortions are banned or heavily restricted, such as Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, Missouri, etc. I find that so upsetting that all these places have banned something so many woman need. Why keep producing more humans to be raised by people who aren’t ready to be responsible for taking care of a kid or kids? It’s just better to at least have a solution for women who know they can’t raise a child and for women to have a say in what they want.

Patterson football team defeats Edmondson in overtime

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Photo: Quaron Walker-Bey

by Quaron Walker-Bey

The Clippers varsity football team looked to get their first win at on September 26 against their crosstown school rival, Edmondson-Westside High School. The game took place at Patterson.

“We just look to be physical today, and play our game of football the way we know how to and go out and get a win”, said DL/OL Machi Thompson before the game.

The game started a bit slow, with both teams’ running and passing games failing to rack up points. In the second half, both teams picked up the pace, with the Clippers scoring two passing touchdowns and Edmondson rushing for a touchdown.

Photo: Quaron Walker-Bey

The game almost got a little ugly when the referees and coaches didn’t agree on certain calls on the sideline, while on the field the tension between the players started to rise as the stakes of the game had gotten higher and higher as the game went on.

At this point, in the 2nd half of the game, the Clippers and the Red Storm traded blow after blow. There was a span of plays on the drives where the Clippers made a big play then turned the ball over to the Red Storm, and then the Red Storm made a big play and fumbled the ball. The game was so competitive that it went into overtime. Edmondson started with the ball in overtime until the Clippers received the ball back. The Clippers ended the overtime with a touchdown, giving them their first win of the season.

“We just played our game the way we know how, trusted our coaches and each other, and listened to our coaches, and we came out with our first win today”, said Thompson after the game.

The final score was 20-14 as the Clippers claimed their first victory of the season.

Program trains students to become interpreters

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Photo: Jamira Ellison

by Mirian Maurizaca

Next Generation Language Access (NGLA) is a training program for students at Patterson High School who want to become professional interpreters.

Since there are many people that have limited English proficiency in Baltimore, there is a shortage in access to interpretation services. Currently NGLA is partnering with 3 different high schools: Patterson High School, Benjamin Franklin High School, and Digital Harbor High School. The program started at Patterson in 2023. They did their pilot program last year and now there are five students who are certified to work as community interpreters.

NGLA’s mission is to train high school students to become professional interpreters to reduce language barriers in Baltimore City and also provide a career opportunity after graduation for first and second generation immigrant high school students.

“The reason we focus on high school students is…there is research showing that students that are first or second generation immigrants that are 18 and older are more likely to fall into poverty than students that are not first or second generation”, shared NGLA Founding Director Omari Jeremiah.

“We want to solve two problems by providing meaningful employment opportunities for high school graduates that are first or second generation immigrants in the United States.”

Aside from providing a career path for immigrant youths, Mr. Jeremiah’s other goal is “reducing language barriers so that everyone, regardless of their language that they speak, is able to receive the services they need to thrive in Baltimore City.” 

Students join the program for a variety of reasons.

“I want to learn how to interpret”, said Jesler Caledron. “I’ve never liked any class like this class because I participate a lot.”  Calderon hopes to find work as an interpreter after he earns his certification.

“I want to have better communication in Baltimore City”, explained Raymond Alabi. While he’s looking forward to earning his certificate and getting paid to interpret, he has also made some personal connections through the program. “I feel good to have new friends”, Alabi said.

Zeinab Al-Ali is hopeful that the program is going to help her when applying for college. She also believes that her interpreter training will help her family. “ I feel this class is going to help me in the future because I have to interpret for my parents so I can know what to say and how to do it.”

Although Next Generation Language Access is currently only operating in a few schools, the program has plans to expand.

“We are always growing and evolving. There is a huge need for interpreters throughout the country, not just Baltimore City”, said Mr. Jeremiah. “We are excited to see how things continue to evolve.”

Undefeated Clippers advance to regional soccer semi-finals

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Patterson scores against the Douglass Mighty Ducks (Photo: Vema Maneno)

by Vema Maneno — with files from Yastelin Sanchez Turcios and Dasha Peraza Sandoval

The Patterson boys soccer team has been defending their City Championship from last year, and so far they have done so without a loss. The Clippers have started their season with seven wins, no losses, and one hard fought tie against City.

Last year the team had an incredible season but fell short in the Regional Final, losing in the final minutes to Poly. However, despite losing nine seniors last season, the team has picked up where they left off. 

“We have tried to build a culture of family and teamwork,” Coach Ober said. “The results usually follow once we have connected on a personal level with each other and built chemistry.”

Patterson is the most diverse school in Baltimore City Public Schools, and the soccer team is no different. The starting 11 players in the first game of the season had players representing seven different countries, including South Sudan, Honduras, El Salvador, United States, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania. 

When you have players from so many backgrounds and experiences, who speak different languages, it is a challenge to build communication and a team identity, but it is something Coach Ober loves. 

“The diversity of the team is truly beautiful,” he said. “Getting to know people from all over the world and seeing them connect and build friendships is far more valuable than anything we do on the field. Soccer is the most powerful sport to connect people and I see it year after year. It is their common language.”

The team has to put a lot of effort into preparing for the games.

“I try to build their confidence and help them learn their positioning. We work a lot with positioning drills so they can learn it easier. I also get them to operate as a team so that they can help each other.”

Photos: Vema Maneno, Mabondo Biribuza, Yastelin Sanchez Turcios, Dasha Peraza Sandoval, and Mr. Frederick

Coach Ober believes that it’s important for his players to be successful both on the field and in the classroom.

“Every day we practice and we have study hall once a week. We watch films at times as well during study hall.”

Communication is also important for the team.

“The only errors we ever have are communication errors, like communicating with the coach when you are going to miss practice. Other than that we do not have many issues or errors.”, said Coach Ober.

Coach Ober shouted out the best players that did exceptionally well so far this season.

“Tim has scored the most for us so far most likely. Offensively, Daniel and Joseph have been doing a great job, and Joel, Victor, Yeyson, Martin, and Vema are doing great on defense. Everyone on the team plays an important role and helps the team win.”

On October 15, the Varsity team clinched back-to-back City Championships with a 3-2 double overtime win over Poly. After being down 2-0 with 15 minutes to go, the team rallied behind goals from Tiem Kuiy and Daniel Gutierrez to send the game into overtime. 

With only 31 seconds to go in double overtime (which would have ended the game in a tie and made Poly the champions), Daniel Gutierrez hit an incredible goal to end the game and win the title.

On Friday, October 25, the Clippers will face off against Bel Air at Patterson for the Regional Semi-Final playoff.  The game starts at 3:45 PM and is free to attend.

Patterson scores the winning goal against Poly to seize the City Championship (Video: Mr. Martin)

Girls soccer team maintains positive attitude despite losses

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Patterson goalie Umutesi Belise blocks Poly from scoring another goal (Photo: Snit Kahsay)

by Snit Kahsay

The Patterson girls soccer team lost 8-0 in their game against Poly on September 12, but according to their coach, soccer is about much more than winning or losing.

“Working with kids and seeing the joy that they get for being in a team and practicing and getting to learn new things” is what inspired Coach Blum to become a coach.

In Coach Blum’s opinion, the most difficult position to play on a soccer team is goalie.

“When a goalie gets scored on they feel like they let the whole team down, so the pressure is on them”, she said.

The Patterson girls soccer team works hard by practicing every day after school for about two hours. Something they hope to achieve by the end of the season is for the girls to get together because they lost a lot of players last year. 

One of the challenges the team captain, Alison Licona, faces as the leader of the team is being positive the whole time. This is a very difficult thing to do because just like everyone else she gets frustrated mid-game when something bad happens so she has to try hard to stay positive because she is the role model for the rest of the team. Although they lost 8-0 they kept a positive attitude during the whole game. According to her, it was a great game and they had fun.

“Even though we lost really bad, we did better than the last game, and that’s what matters– we’re getting better” , said Nyagagare Kuiy, one of the players.

The Patterson Clippers girls soccer team had another game before this one and they lost 8-0 in that one too. In their game against Poly they didn’t look disappointed. In fact they looked happy because they played better than in the previous game. The team didn’t let the final score ruin their moods and they enjoyed the game.

Photos: Snit Kahsay

Clippers hold their own in two close football losses

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(Photo: Quaron Walker-Bey)

by Quaron Walker-Bey

Editor’s note: This article was written before the most recent games. The game against City mentioned in the last paragraph has already taken place. We will have an update on the latest football games soon.

The Clippers Varsity Football team has been off to a slow start with a 0-2 record in two very close games.

In the first game of the year, the very young Clippers looked to kick off the season with a good start against Lake Clifton. The Clippers had a hard time stopping runs throughout the game, yet towards the end of the game the Clippers defense was clicking on all cylinders and stopping the Lake Clifton offense. On the last drive, Clippers quarterback Telin Cabean fumbled, which was the last play of regulation. The final score was 8-6 with Lake Clifton taking the win over our Clippers.

The Clippers looked to make a comeback win against Guilford Park High School. The game got off to a slow start for both teams with a 0-0 game going into halftime. Throughout the 2nd half, both teams made plays. The Clippers struggled a bit, but on their last hope, Cabean delivered a 40 yard touchdown to Tyshawn Sneed to tie the game 14-14. Unfortunately, with 45 seconds left, Guilford Park found a way to score with a Hail Mary pass to the back of the endzone for the win.

This week, the Clippers look to get their first win of the season against the City Knights on Thursday evening at 3:45 p.m. at Patterson. The Clippers will be playing without DE/OT Machi Thompson, RB/LB Aaron Washington, and RB/LB Marquise Brown. WR/CB Matt is also out with a ankle injury.

(Photo: Quaron Walker-Bey)

Transgender people are valid (OPINION)

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By Zander Hatzigeorgalis 

Transphobia is a huge problem here at Patterson and in the world. Transphobia means that a person is prejudiced against transgender people. One example of a transphobic act is purposely calling a transgender person by a name or pronoun that they do not identify with. Instead of respecting someone’s gender identity, transphobes insist that a person is the gender that matches the biological sex of the body they were born into.

I say this transphobic behavior has to stop! In my experience, I’ve been harassed about being FTM (female to male). The people who always said I was not a boy kept saying I was a girl no matter how many times I corrected them that I am not a girl. Transgender people have feelings too. They are valid as who they are.

I always give respect to others but in return most people do not respect me at all. Transgender people take a while to process their transitions (especially as teenagers) and it takes a few years to fully change the testosterone and estrogen hormones. For me, it took forever just to convince my dad to cut my hair shorter than it used to be. When transphobia happens, the transgender people feel very uncomfortable and unsafe.

Transgender people have gender dysphoria every day and it does not feel very good. Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity. I have the biggest gender dysphoria ever. It ain’t even funny. I experience this feeling every day, all day. There is no reason to add to the stress that transgender people already experience by being disrespectful to them.

Making fun of transgender people is not cool at all. It causes a lot of emotional damage to FTMs (female to males) and MTFs (male to females). I have been called offensive slurs before. Listen to the transgender people who say a word is offensive to them, like the “T” slur. When transgender people say it, it’s fine for them, but when others say it without knowing the real meaning of it, it is offensive.

Everyone wants to be respected for who they are. Gender identity is a very complex and personal thing, but if we just listen to what people tell us about themselves and treat everyone the way that we would want to be treated, the world will be a better place.

Patterson should get rid of its uniform policy (OPINION)

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by Ashley Sarmiento Rodriguez

Patterson High School has had a school uniform policy for years and many students, including myself, don’t agree with it.

One reason why Patterson High School made students start wearing uniforms is because there used to be a lot of students who would go into neighborhoods and mess around and do disturbing things and with the uniform you’d be able to identify where they are coming from. Another reason they added the uniforms is because there were some students wearing inappropriate clothes. The main reason why they made uniforms is to stop outsiders who don’t belong here from coming in.

However, I think that’s dumb because the school used to make us scan ID cards before coming in and if you don’t scan, you can’t come in–so why stop now? It’s so much more reasonable to do that than to require students to wear uniforms, because anybody can wear a Patterson shirt and khaki pants and pass as a student. That could be even more dangerous because as long as you are wearing anything from Patterson, teachers think you’re from here. Besides, there are many people still in the school not wearing uniforms despite the uniform policy existing, so if they really wanted to see if anybody was coming in who shouldn’t, they still can’t tell.

I disagree with the uniform policy. I think that’s not fair that because of certain students wearing things they shouldn’t, the whole school needs to basically get punished for the actions of a few. Yes, they can say it’s for identification, but there are IDs that can hang around our neck and many other ways to identify Patterson students beside uniforms.

I think they should take uniforms away or make it optional because not everyone wants to wear the same pants every day or the same two shirts all week and many students can’t afford to buy additional uniforms. If someone decides to wear something inappropriate, then let them get punished on their own because what a handful of students do should not result in the whole school is getting punished.

Another reason why I don’t agree with the uniforms is because they’re just short sleeve shirts. The building is cold and even when people are wearing hoodies under the uniform shirt, school staff members ask you to take it off. For now, they’ve run out of the uniform sizes and only have big clothes that don’t fit me. Why would I or anyone want to wear that every day?

Yet another reason why I don’t agree with the uniform policy is that this year they have been making it a much bigger priority than it was the year before and not everyone is able to go before school even starts to pick up their uniform. Then, when we’re actually in school trying to get them, it’s much harder. I didn’t have anything for the first few days of school and went around asking for the uniform but they never had right sizes. Then if I wanted to get any Patterson hoodies or sweatpants, I’d have to pay them myself. They don’t even give out the khaki pants now that school started; I have to go buy my own. There are just a lot of things that not everyone has transportation or money to get.

My friend, Yeimmi, another student who goes to Patterson High School, also does not agree with the school uniforms.

“I don’t like the uniforms because they have only given me a big shirt that doesn’t fit me and I’ve been yelled at a few times to change at school.”, she said. “It’s uncomfortable.”

“I didn’t have time to go get the uniform before school even started and since then I’ve only gotten an XXL shirt.”, Yeimmi added. “I feel like they’re useless and there’s no point in having them. It makes no difference.”

For all these reasons, I think that Patterson should get rid of its uniform policy and let students have the freedom to wear what they want, as long as it doesn’t violate the District’s dress code.

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